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enUEFA probe Daugavpils over match-fixingUEFA is investigating claims of match-fixing against Latvian club Daugava Daugavpils after members of the club were arrested.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-investigate-daugavpils-over-match-fixing-after-arrests
In a statement on Friday, UEFA revealed ithad been informed of arrests that had taken placeon Wednesday following criminal investigationsby Latvian law enforcement authorities.
Irregular betting patterns were reported following Daugavpils'UEFA Champions Leaguesecond round qualifying match against Elfsborg in July 2013, which the Latvian outfit lost 11-1 on aggregate.
A statement from European football's governing body read: "UEFA has been informed about Wednesday's arrests of members of the Latvian club FC Daugava Daugavpils for alleged cases of match-fixing.
"After the collection of all evidence, UEFA will launch the appropriate disciplinary proceedings against the club, Daugava Daugavpils, and the club president, as well as the players concerned.
"The allegations relate to a UEFA Champions League second qualifying round match in the 2013/14 season.
"Thanks to the UEFA Betting Fraud Detection System, which annually monitors over 32,000 matches in Europe, irregular betting patterns were reported around the Latvian club's game against the Swedish side IF Elfsborg on 17 July 2013.
"This prompted the launch of an investigation, conducted by UEFA in close cooperation with the Latvian Football Federation (LFF) and Latvian authorities, into the match in question; the first leg of the tie which Daugava Daugavpils lost 7-1 away from home, before also losing 4-0at home in the second leg. The Latvian law enforcement authorities consequently started criminal investigations that led to Wednesday's arrests.
"UEFA has adopted a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding match-fixing and corruption. Serious sanctions (including lifetime bans from football) are imposed in cases where players, officials or referees have been found guilty of breaching these provisions."
news_articleFri, 24 Oct 2014 16:04:26 +0000274429 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Lyon, Hull, Sociedad outLyon and Real Sociedad were the big-name casualties in the UEFA Europa League play-offs on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-play-review-lyon-and-sociedad-dumped-out-inter-win-big
Ligue 1 Lyon travelled to Astra nursing a 2-1 deficit from last week's tie on home soil and managed to claim a 1-0 win in the return leg courtesy of Jordan Ferri's strike midway through the first half.
But the Romanian side held on to prevail 2-2 on away goals, earning a place in the group stages of a continental competition for the first time.
While Lyon had good reason to be wary entering their second leg, Sociedad of La Liga took a 1-0 scoreline to Krasnodar - an advantage they protected until a stunning late collapse.
Alberto de la Bella brought down substitute Ricardo Laborde for Joaozinho to convert a 71st minute penalty, before Mauricio Pereyra landed the hammer blow two minutes from time.
Ari completed a 3-0 win on the night for the Russian side as Sociedad streamed forward in vain, as the Spaniards bowed out 3-1 over two legs.
Villarreal cut something of a contrast to their compatriots in storming to a 4-0 win over Astana to secure a 7-0 aggregate triumph, while Borussia Monchengladbach and Inter Milan were also resounding home winners.
Bundesliga outfit Monchengladbach made a keenly contested 3-2 win in their first-leg against FK Sarajevo seem like a trick of the mind as they chalked up a 7-0 victory - Swedish striker Branimir Hrgota following up his brace last week with a hat-trick.
Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic also claimed the match ball as Inter dispatched Stjarnan 6-0 to best their Icelandic opponents 9-0 overall.
A Serie A team far less accustomed to European competition, Torino, join their compatriots in the group stages after Omar El Kaddouri's penalty proved to be the only goal of the tie against Split.
Hull City beat Lokeren 2-1 on the night thanks to a Robbie Brady brace but the Belgian side progressed 2-2 on away goals, leaving Tottenham to fly the flag for the Premier League.
Mauricio Pochettino's men cruised past AEL 3-0 at White Hart Lane for a 5-1 aggregate victory and a group berth for the fourth consecutive season.
Dutch heavyweights Feyenoord and PSV advanced but it was a mixed night for the Eredivisie, as PEC Zwolle were beaten 3-1 at Sparta Prague to exit by a 4-2 margin and FC Twente's 1-1 draw with Qarabag dumped them out on away goals.
Feyenoord had a three-goal lead on the night wiped out before Elvis Manu netted in stoppage time to spark wild scenes as they won 4-3 against Zorya to seal a 5-4 aggregate triumph.
In-form Netherlands international Memphis Depay continued his phenomenal start to the season with a late brace to see PSV past Shakhtyor of Belarus 2-0 and 3-0 on aggregate.
Saint-Etienne beat Karabukspor 4-3 on penalties after a 1-0 win left the tie locked at 1-1 on aggregate.
Apollon enjoyed a night to remember with a comprehensive 4-1 win - 5-2 on aggregate - over Lokomotiv Moscow.
It was honours even in the Russia-Cyprus encounters as Chris Samba netted deep into injury time to hand Dinamo Moscow a 2-1 win at Omonia Nicosia, the first leg having ended 2-2.
Swiss pair Young Boys and Zurich drew with Debrecen and Spartak Trnava respectively to preserve first-leg advantages.
Trabzonspor and Dnipro progressed after playing out respective goalless draws at Rostov and Hajduk Split, although Club Brugge's 1-0 win at home sent Grasshoppers packing 3-1 on aggregate.
HJK Helsinki had their 2-1 first-leg advantage wiped out by an early Louis Schaub brace before rallying to prevail with a 3-3 draw at Rapid Vienna.
PAOK overturned a 1-0 deficit with a 4-0 win over Zimbru and there was further Greek joy as Panathinaikos beat Midtjylland 2-1 in Denmark to triumph 6-2 overall.
Astra's compatriots Petrolul Ploiesti lost 2-1 to Dinamo Zagreb to bow out 5-2 on aggregate, while home wins also saw Legia Warsaw past Aktobe 2-0 and Metalist overcome Ruch Chorzow 1-0 after extra time.
Rio Ave beat Elfsborg 1-0 at home to go through 2-2 on the away goals rule, which spared Asteras Tripolis despite a 3-1 loss on the night at Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Elsewhere Rijeka, Partizan Belgrade and Dinamo Minsk were winners on the road against Sheriff, Neftci and Nacional respectively to progress to the round-robin phase.
news_articleThu, 28 Aug 2014 23:00:22 +0000240960 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League: Lyon look to reverse upsetLyon will need to come from behind if they are to advance past Astra in the UEFA Europa League play-offs on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-play-preview-lyon-look-reverse-upset-inter-defend-three-goal-lead
The Ligue 1 outfit fell to a surprise 2-1 defeat on home soil last week, putting the Romanians firmly in the driving seat.
Steed Malbranque's 25th-minute opener gave Hubert Fournier's menan encouraging start, but Kehinde Fatai levelled for the visitors in the 72nd minute and Lindsay Rose received a costly second yellow card a few minutes later.
Constantin Budescu fired in a penalty in the final 10 minutes to earn a precious away win, but Astra coach Daniel Isaila knows the tie is not won just yet.
"We are really well prepared both physically and mentally," he said. "If you don't have self-confidence, it's impossible to achieve targets.
"Obviously the second leg will be very tough, because the mentality of the French players is to attack and to impose their game.
"But we have a psychological advantage and we will do our best."
Astra - bidding for a first appearance in the group stage of a continentalcompetition - lost in this roundto Maccabi Haifa last season, while Lyon made it to the quarter-finals.
Fellow French club Saint-Etienne host Karabukspor a goal down from the first leg, while Astra's compatriots Petrolul Ploiesti trail Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 ahead of their trip to Croatia.
Inter, who are - along with Juventus - the most successful team in Europe's secondary club competition, hold a sizeable 3-0 advantage over Icelandic minnows Stjarnan, but Serie A rivals Torino were held to a goalless draw by Split in their opening encounter.
Tottenham came from behind to get the better of AEL 2-1 in Cyprus and should be full of confidence following a 4-0 demolition of QPR in the Premier League butcompatriots Hull City must overturn a 1-0 deficit against Lokeren of Belgium if their maiden European campaign is to go on.
There was success for the competition's Spanish clubs last Thursday.
Villarreal have one foot in the group stage after winning 3-0 at Astana, while Real Sociedad are a goal to the good against Krasnodar.
Borussia Monchengladbach will be hoping for a more straightforward home tie after beating Sarajevo 3-2 in the first leg, and Europa League involvement hangs in the balance for a trio of Dutch outfits.
Feyenoord, Twente and PEC Zwolle were held to first-leg draws by Zorya, Qarabag and Sparta Prague respectively last week.
PSV are a goal up against Shakhtyor ahead of the away leg.
Elsewhere, Apollon's match againstLokomotiv Moscow and Omonia Nicosia's tie with Dinamo Moscow are all square following draws in the first legs of the two Cyprus-versus-Russia encounters, while Swiss duo Young Boys and Zurich are 3-1 up in their respective fixtures with Debrecen and Spartak Trnava.
Metalisthost Ruch Chorzow, Neftci are in action against Partizan, Zimbru travel to PAOK and Trabzonspor take a 2-0 advantage to Rostov.
Dnipro, Rijeka, Asteras Tripolis, Panathinaikos and HJK are all on the road against Hajduk Split, Sheriff, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Midtjyllandand Rapid Vienna respectively.
In the round's remaining fixtures Nacional host Dinamo Minsk, Club Brugge are at home to Grasshopper, Aktobe head to Legia Warsaw, and Rio Ave welcome Elfsborg.
news_articleTue, 26 Aug 2014 16:18:45 +0000239355 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Spurs in late turnaroundTottenham produced a late turnaround to beat AEL 2-1 in the Europa League on Thursday, while Astra shocked Lyon with a 2-1 away win.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-tottenham-late-turnaround-astra-shock-lyon
Adrian Sardinero gave AEL a deserved lead in the first half at Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, but Spurs battled back in the final 20 minutes as Erik Lamela set up Roberto Soldado and Harry Kane to give them the edge ahead of the second leg.
Ten-man Lyon had no such luck, though.
Steed Malbranque's 25th-minute opener gave them an encouraging start, but Kehinde Fatai levelled for the Romanians in the 72nd minute and Lindsay Rose received a costly second yellow card a few minutes later.
Constantin Budescu fired in a penalty in the final 10 minutes to earn a precious away win, while the other French side in action – Saint-Etienne – were also defeated, as they lost 1-0 at Karabukspor.
Villarreal cruised to a 3-0 win away from home, as they comfortably defeated 10-man Kazakhstani side Astana thanks to goals from Cani, Giovani dos Santos and Mario Gaspar.
Real Sociedad, the other Spanish side in action, claimed a slender 1-0 home victory over Krasnodar of Russia.
The other threeRussian sides competing fared a little better, but none were able to win.
Dinamo Moscow were held to a 2-2 home draw to Omonia Nicosia, while Rostov lost 2-0 at Trabzonspor andLokomotiv Moscow's trip to Apollon ended 1-1.
PSV could only muster a slender 1-0 win at home to Shakhtyor of Belarus, while fellow Eredivisie sides PEC Zwolle, Twente and Feyenoord all drew.
Zwolle and Feyenoord were held to 1-1 stalemates by Sparta Prague and Zorya respectively, while Twente endured a goalless match at Qarabag of Uzbekistan.
Dinamo Zagreb have given themselves a good chance of reaching the group stage after beating hosts Petrolul Ploiesti 3-1, while Zurich's Amine Chermiti netted a hat-trick as the Swiss club downed Spartak Trnava 3-1.
It was mostly an encouraging night for the Greek sides involved as Panathinaikos thrashed Midtjylland 4-1 and Asteras Tripolis were 2-0 victors over visitors Maccabi Tel Aviv, but PAOK succumbed to a 1-0 loss to Zimbru in Moldova.
Both Belgian clubs came away with wins as Lokeren clinched a commendable 1-0 triumph against Hull City and Club Brugge won 2-1 at Grasshopper, while Borussia Monchengladbach head back to Germany with a 3-2 success over Sarajevo.
There was not much to cheer about for Portuguese fans as Nacional lost 2-0 at Dinamo Minsk and Rio Ave were defeated by hosts Elfsborg, although the latter picked up an away goal in a 2-1 loss.
There were also wins for HJK, Legia Warsaw, Young Boys, Rijeka and Partizan Belgrade, while Metalist Kharkiv and Torino were held to 0-0 draws on the road by Ruch Chorzow and Split respectively.
news_articleThu, 21 Aug 2014 21:44:07 +0000236131 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League: Inter, Villarreal hit the roadItalian giants Inter visit Stjarnan in Iceland while Villarreal, Tottenham and Feyenoord also begin their UEFA Europa League play-off ties on the road.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-play-preview-inter-villarreal-hit-road
With places in the group stage of the tournament up for grabs, the stakes will be high on Wednesday and Thursday as 64 sides do battle in crucial first leg ties.
Stjarnan could not have hoped for a higher-profile draw after negotiating a way past Bangor City, Motherwell and Lech Poznan to the competition's play-offs.
Stjarnan top the table in Iceland's Urvalsdeild by three points and striker Veigar Pall Gunnarsson cannot wait to pit his skills against the 18-time Italian champions on Wednesday.
"To play with Stjarnan, my boyhood club, against a team [like Inter] is a dream come true. We have to believe there is always a chance," he is quoted as saying on UEFA's official website.
Inter, who did not play European football for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign last term, could give competitive debuts to the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Pablo Daniel Osvaldo and Yann M'Vila.
No club haswon Europe's second-tier clubcompetition more than Inter. They have won it three times, in 1991, 1994 and 1998, while they were also runners-up in 1997.
Villarreal, who finished sixth in La Liga last season, begin their tie in Kazakhstan as they meet Astana, while Tottenham – fresh off a last-gasp 1-0 Premier League win at West Ham United on Saturday – go to Cyprus for a clash with AEL.
Tottenham have won the competition twice, in 1972 and 1984, the club'sPremier League counterparts, Hull City, start with a tricky trip to Lokeren.
Another two-time winner, Feyenoord, are unbeaten in two Eredivisie matches so far in 2014-15 and will hope to continue that run when they face Zorya of Ukraine.
Fellow Dutch side PSV have started the new campaigneven better, with two wins helping them to the top of the league. PSVhost Belarusian outfit Shakhtyor on Thursday.
Real Sociedad - who reached the group stages of the Champions League last term – host Russian outfit Krasnodar, while Borussia Monchengladbach, two-time winners of the competition, travel to Bosnia to play Sarajevo in their first leg.
Two wins from as many games has Saint-Etienne sitting second in Ligue 1 and they will be full of confidence ahead of their trip to Karabukspor.
Fellow French side Lyon begin with a home clash against Astra of Romania.
Sparta Prague are in action against PEC Zwolle of the Eredivisie, while Panathinaikos host Midtjylland, Young Boys meet Debrecen and Qarabag do battle with Twente.
Four Croatian sides are also in action, as Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb visit Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Petrolul Ploiesti respectively, while Split host Torino and Rijeka welcome the visit of Sheriff.
There are also four Russian teams involved, with Krasnodar joined by Lokomotiv Moscow and Rostov – who have away ties against Apollon and Trabzonspor, respectively – and Dinamo Moscow.
Dinamo play host to Omonia Nicosia in their first leg.
Legia Warsaw travel to Aktobe while another Polish side, Ruch Chorzow, battle Metalist.
Other ties see HJK face off against Rapid Wien, while Dinamo Minsk, Elfsborg and Zimbru are at home to Nacional, Rio Ave and PAOK respectively.
Zurich hit the road to tackle Spartak Trnava and Partizan clash with Neftci, and there are home ties for Asteras Tripolis, who meet Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Grasshopper, who play Club Brugge.
news_articleTue, 19 Aug 2014 16:17:42 +0000234574 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comInter face Stjarnan, Tottenham take on AELThree-time winners Inter have been pitted against Icelandic minnows Stjarnan in the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/inter-face-surprise-package-stjarnan-tottenham-take-ael
Inter won the competition on three occasions in the 1990s under its UEFA Cup guise and will be hoping to do so again this season under Walter Mazzarri.
However, Inter will need to be wary of a Stjarnan team that claimed a surprise 1-0 aggregate win over Lech Poznan to reach the final qualifying stage.
Like Inter,Tottenham and Feyenoord are fancied to challenge forEuropa League honours and will start their respective quests against AEL and Zorya.
Last season's FA Cup finalists Hull City, who scraped pastTrencin 2-1 on Thursday, will continue their maiden European adventure againstBelgian outfit Lokeren.
Polish side Legia Warsaw were demoted from the UEFA Champions League on Friday for fielding an ineligible player in the second leg of their 6-1 aggregate victory over Celtic, who have been progressed to the play-off stage of that tournament by default.
And the gulf between the two competitions was perfectly illustrated as Legia were handed a meeting with Aktobe of Kazakhstan.
Torino, competing in Europe for the first time in 20 years, were rewarded for a 7-0 aggregate triumph over Brommapojkarna with a tie against RNK Split, while Real Sociedad will take on Russian team Krasnodar.
Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach face Sarajevo and Lyon and PSV have been drawn against Astra and Shakhtyor respectively.
The first legs are to be played on August 21, with the return legs taking place seven days later.
Draw in full:
Sarajevo v Borussia Monchengladbach
Spartak Trnava v Zurich
Qarabag v Twente
Neftci v Partizan
RNK Split v Torino
Asteras Tripolis v Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Omonia Nicosia v Dinamo Moscow
Apollon v Lokomotiv Moscow
Petrolul v Dinamo Zagreb
Aktobe v Legia Warsaw
Ruch Chorzow v Metalist
Astana v Villarreal
HJK v Rapid Vienna
Lyon v Astra
Elfsborg v Rio Ave
Young Boys v Debrecen
AEL v Tottenham
Dinamo Minsk v Nacional
Trabzonspor v Rostov
Lokeren v Hull City
PSV v Shakhtyor
Zwolle v Sparta Prague
Dnipro v Hajduk Split
Zimbru v PAOK
Karabukspor v Saint-Etienne
Stjarnan v Inter
Panathinaikos v Midtjylland
Feyenoord v Zorya
Grasshopper v Club Brugge
Real Sociedad v Krasnodar
Rijeka v Sheriff
news_articleFri, 08 Aug 2014 12:17:00 +0000227111 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Mainz sent crashing outMainz were eliminated in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, while Hull City survived a scare on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-mainz-crash-out-hull-survive-scare
Bundesliga outfit Mainz let slip a 1-0 first-leg lead as they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat at Greek side Asteras Tripolis in the return fixture to suffer the ignominy of an early exit.
Kasper Hjulmand'smen appeared set to go through after Koo Ja-cheol cancelled out Pablo de Blasis' opener.
However, a second-half double from striker Pablo Mazza settled the tie in the hosts' favour.
Hull, meanwhile, were grateful to a late goal from substitute Sone Aluko, the forward finding the net 10 minutes from time to give the Premier League side a 2-1 success versus Trencin after a 0-0 draw in theirfirst leg.
Captain Xabi Prieto scored twice as Real Sociedad beat Aberdeen 3-2 in a thrilling game at Pittodrie, earning a 5-2 aggregate win capped by MarkelBergara's injury-time strike.
Celtic, who will feature in theEuropa League play-off roundfollowing their exit from the Champions League, are the only Scottish side remaining in Europeafter St Johnstone went down 3-2 on aggregate toSpartak Trnava, having drawnthe second leg 1-1.
PSV progressed in unconvincing manner, the 1978 winners overcoming St Polten 3-2 in Austria to win the tie 4-2.
However, there were no such difficulties for Club Brugge or Torino, who each sailed through in emphatic fashion.
Brugge went through 5-0 on aggregate with a 2-0 success at Brondby, and Torino crushed Brommapojkarna of Sweden4-0 to win7-0 acrosstwo legs.
Brommapojkarna's Allsvenskan rivals Gothenburg – two-timewinners ofthe UEFA Cup– and AIK were also knocked out, but Elfsborg progressed 5-3 on aggregate despite losing 2-1 to FH.
In-demand Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette was on target as the French side progressed 6-2 on aggregate by beating Mlada Boleslav 2-1.
Young Boys' 2-0 win at 10-man Ermis secured a 3-0 aggregate success, with the hosts' misery encapsulated by defender Paulinho's red card a minute into the second half.
Dinamo Moscow came from behind to earn a 2-1 victory at HapoelIroni Kiryat Shmona, winning the tie 3-2, but Cluj will go no further after a 2-0 home loss to Dinamo Minsk saw them go out3-0 on aggregate.
There was better fortune for Cluj's Romanian compatriots Petrolul, who qualified by an aggregate score of 5-2 after a 4-1 hammering of Viktoria Plzen.
Both RNK Split and Hajduk Split progressed on a strong night for Croatian teams that also saw Rijeka win 4-0 and 9-1 on aggregate against Vikingur.
Lech Poznan exited the competition after they were held to a goalless home draw by Stjarnan, which sealed a 1-0 aggregate loss. However, Ruch Chorzow went through on away goals with a 2-2 draw at Esbjerg.
Karabukspor qualified in similar fashion with a 1-1 draw at Rosenborg;Krasnodar cruised through against Diosgyor and Shakhtyor eliminated Zulte Waregem.
Elsewhere, Zorya, Astra, Neftci, Zimbru, Omonia Nicosia and Sarajevo all ensured their respective places in the next round.
news_articleThu, 07 Aug 2014 21:52:21 +0000226726 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League: Hull aim to avoid early exitHull City will be out to avoid a premature end to their maiden UEFA Europa League campaign when they host Trencin on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-preview-hull-aim-avoid-early-exit-big-names-defend-first-leg-leads
The Premier League outfitwere unable to mark their European debut with a victory in thefirst legof their third-qualifying-roundtie last week,when they were held to a goalless draw at the Stadion Pod DubnominZilina.
The result, which would have been different had Tom Huddlestone not fired over from point-blank range after seeing apenalty saved, made Hull the only team from Europe's big five leagues to fail to register a victory last week.
However, Steve Bruce's menremainstrong favourites to progress at the expense ofthe Slovakian side ahead of the second leg and will be relishing the opportunity to join the likes of Inter, Tottenham and Villarreal in the play-off round.
Many of the third qualifying round's biggestnames are on course to progress from their respective ties.
Italian outfit Torino - making their return to top-level European competition after a 20-year absence -were 3-0 winners when they visited Brommapojkarna of Sweden, so will be satisfied that they have more than one foot in the next stage.
Lyon will be similarly confident when they defenda 4-1 advantage over Mlada Boleslav in France, while Real Sociedad take a 2-0 lead to Aberdeen.
Mainz are by no means assured of their place in the play-off round after only mustering a 1-0 win over Asteras Tripolis of Greece on home soil, and1978 UEFA Cup champions PSV will defendthe same scoreline inAustria againstSt Polten.
Chikhura's Mikheil Meskhi Stadium will not be at full capacity as they look to edge past Neftci after UEFA handed down a partial closure of the ground following a racist incident in the previous round'sfirst-leg clash with Bursaspor. Chikhura and Neftci are tied at 0-0 following the first leg.
Two teams who were in the group stage of this competition last year face an uphill struggle to repeat that feat this time around, with Chornomorets trailing Split 2-0 and Zulte Waregem 5-2 down against Shakhtyor.
Krasnodar, Omonia Nicosia, Astra, Elfsborg, Club Brugge and Rijeka all appear set to securea place in the next round after picking up some of the biggest wins in the first-leg matches.
But thereis all to play for in eight of Thursday's 29 ties, including the games involving Hull and Chikhura,where the teams could not be separated in their initial clashes.
Elsewhere, Spartak Trnava lead St Johnstone 2-1, Stjarnan hold a 1-0 advantage over Lech Poznan, Atromitos return to Greece 2-1 up against Sarajevo, and Zimbru are in control of their clash with Grodig - leading 2-1.
Young Boys are a goal to the good as they head to Cyprus to face Ermis, CFR Cluj are a goal down against Dinamo Minsk, Rio Ave are 1-0 up againstGothenburg, and Shakhter Karagandy hold a 4-2 advantage over Hajduk Split.
news_articleTue, 05 Aug 2014 16:44:16 +0000225280 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Torino return in styleTorino put one foot in the UEFA Europa League play-off round with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Brommapojkarna in Sweden.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-torino-mark-return-big-win-lyon-victorious
Having waited 20 years for their return to European football, the Serie A side assumed total control of their third qualifying round tie with three away goals.
Marcelo Larrondo opened the scoring just before half-time with a well-taken penalty after Pontus Segerstrom was dismissed for upending Giuseppe Vives.
The Argentinian striker added a second eight minutes after the break and Barreto put them in total control in the 58th minute.
Brommapojkarna were handed a way back into the match when Vives was shown red for a foul on Serge Martinsson-Ngouali inside the penalty area, but Dardan Rexhepi missed the subsequent spot-kick to leave Torino in total control of the tie.
A Kehinde Fatai hat-trick saw Romanian side Astra beat Slovan Liberec 3-0, while Omonia Nicosia matched that scoreline at home to Metalurg in Cyprus.
Three-goal winning margins were popular on Thursday as Elsfborg and Lyon both recorded 4-1 victories of FH and Mlada Boleslav, while Rijeka and Krasnodar went one better as they beat Vikingur and Diosgyor 5-1.
PSV, winners of the competition in its former guise of the UEFA Cup in 1978, started their campaign with a solid 1-0 victory over St Polten thanks toLuuk de Jong, while two-time winners IKF Gothenburg lost by the same score to Primeira Liga side Rio Ave.
Dinamo Minsk, Young Boys, Mainz and Stjarnanall won their respectivematches 1-0,while Shakhter Karagandy beat Hajduk Split 4-2 in Kazakhstan.
Late goals rescued 1-1 draws for Molde and Viktoria Plzen, but Dinamo Moscow and AIK will be disappointed to be held by Ironi Kiryat Shmona and Astana.
Real Sociedad and Split gave themselves a good cushion for their return matches next week with 2-0 triumphs, while Spartak Trnava and Zimbru conceded late goals against Grodig and StJohnstone as they won 2-1 away from home.
Shakhtyor can begin preparing for a play-off place after producing a stunning performance in Belgium to beat 10-man Zulte-Waregem 5-2, but Brondby were not so lucky as goals from Oscar Duarte, Nicolas Castillo and Victor Vazquez gave Club Brugge a 3-0 triumph.
Meanwhile, Evangelos Nastos struck Atromitos' second goal of the game in Bosnia-Herzegovina as they beat Sarajevo 2-1
Hull City's first foray into Europe ended in a goalless draw against Trencin, although things could have been much different had Tom Huddlestone not missed a second-half penalty.
The Premier League side battled out one of four goalless draws around Europe as Rosenborg, Esbjerg and Chikhura held Karabukspor, Ruch Chorzow and Neftci respectively.
news_articleThu, 31 Jul 2014 21:28:39 +0000222281 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League: Torino return after 20 yearsTorino make a return to the major European stage on Thursday when they face Brommapojkarna in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-preview-torino-return-europe-after-20-year-absence
The Italian outfit reached the final of this competition in its previous guise of the UEFA Cup in 1992,before going down on away goals to Ajax.
They played in the Intertoto Cup third round back in 2002 butlast featured ina top-levelEuropean competition when being edged outin a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final against Arsenal in 1994.
Tony Adams' goalproved the only difference that day as Arsenal progressed 1-0 on aggregate, and Torinohave failed to grace the European stage ever since.
It has been a tumultuous period for the Turin club in that time -plagued by financial troubles, they havebouncedbetween the top two tiers in Italy and remainin the shadows of their illustrious neighbours Juventus.
Thursday's first leg at homerepresents a chance for Giampiero Ventrua's sideto distinguish themselves once more, and defender Cesare Bovowill not be taking the Swedish outfit lightly.
"We have been working for a month just to overcome this hurdle, we want to go through at any cost," he told UEFA.com.
"We know that our opponents play with a high tempo and intensity, but we want to do well, we are self-confident and we won't underestimate them."
Ventura has confirmed that he is likely to be without Alessio Cerci and Matteo Darmian for the clash, with both having only just returned to training aftertheir World Cup exploits with Italy.
Meanwhile, the third qualifyinground alsosees other big names enter the competition, with Dutch giants and 1978 winnersPSV hosting St Polten of Austria, while 2010 UEFA Champions League semi-finalists Lyon will visit Mlada Boleslav of the Czech Republic.
Real Sociedad - recently shorn of star striker Antoine Griezmann, who has joined Atletico Madrid- faceScottish sideAberdeen and two-time championsGothenburgare also still involved, with the Swedish outfit taking on Portugal's Rio Ave.
Rosenborg, former Champions League quarter-finalists, travel to Turkey to faceKarabukspor, andBrondby visit Club Brugge.
Steve Bruce's Hull City, FA Cup runners-up in May, begin their European adventure in Slovakia against Trencin, with the Premier League side sweating on the fitness ofAlex Bruce (Achilles), Curtis Davies (hamstring) andDavid Meyler (knee).
"We hope that they are going to be involved," said the Hull boss. "They are all a concern at this moment as it is only a few days away and it is a European tie."
Hull will be wary of an upset on their travels, and thereare similarly awkward away legs for AIK, Slovan Liberec, Esbjerg and Viktoria Plzen - who face Astana of Kazakhstan, Astra of Romania, Ruch Chorzow of Poland and another Romanian side,Petrolul Ploiesti, respectively.
Mainz, who finished seventh in the Bundesliga last season, play host to Asteras Tripolis from Greeceand Scottish side St Johnstone, who needed penalties to see off Luzern in round two, take on Spartak Trnava.
Home advantage could well prove crucial whenSplit hostChornomorets,Diosgyorwelcome Krasnodar,Omonia Nicosia take on Metalurg, Stjarnan of Iceland face Lech Poznan andZorya of Ukraine prepare to meet Molde.
Sarajevo are in action against Greek side Atromitos whileDinamo Moscow face Hapoel Kiryat Shmona,Young Boys welcomeErmis to SwitzerlandandHafnarfjordur travel toElfsborg.
ZulteWaregem of Belgium made it to the group stages last year, and they will aim to continue their progress when they face Shakhtyor of Belarus.
Elsewhere,Grodig of Austria take on Zimbru after a 5-2 aggregate success over Cukaricki in round two, while Faroese sideVikingur - unbeaten in their last six games in all competitions - face a tough test against Rijeka.
ShakhterKaragandy of Kazakhstan finished bottom of Group L in last year's competition, and their bid to go better in 2014-15 continues at home to Hadjuk Split.
DinamoMinsk take on CFR Cluj in their first-leg clash, with Neftci at home to Chikhura of Georgia.
news_articleTue, 29 Jul 2014 16:01:35 +0000220936 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Rosenborg fight backRosenborg staged an impressive recovery to beat Sligo Rovers 3-1 and advance to the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-rosenborg-complete-comeback-see-sligo
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Norway, the formerUEFA Champions League quarter-finalists fell further behind to Danny North's 13th-minute opener.
That left the visitors needing three unanswered goals to progress, the first of which arrived just three minutes later through Pal Helland andasecond-half brace from Mike Jensen saw the Norwegian outfit advance to a tie with Karabukspor in the nextround.
Elfsborg's 1-0 win at Inter Baku forced a penalty shoot-out, won 4-3 by the Swedish outfit, while Georgian side Chikuraalso prevailed on spot-kicks after a goalless draw with Bursaspor.
Krasnodar's 5-0 thumping of Sillamae Kalev completed a 9-0 aggregate rout, andShakhtyor's 5-1 win over Derry City also saw them through in comfortable fashion.
Trencin almost threw away a 4-0 first-leg advantage against Vojvodina, losing 3-0 in Serbia to squeeze through to a clash with Hull City, but there were no such problems forBrommapojkarna, who drew 1-1 with Crusaders to progress 5-1 and set up a meeting with Torino.
Goalless draws were good enough for the likes ofDinamo Minsk, Omonia Nicosia, Ruch Chorzow andSplit to make it through, while CSKA Sofia's stalemate with Zimbru saw them crash out on away goals after a 1-1 draw in Bulgaria in the first leg.
It was a mixed night for Scottish clubs, as St Johnstone and Aberdeen progressed but Motherwellcrashed out to Stjarnan.
St Johnstone needed penalties to see off Luzernafter a 1-1 draw at McDiarmid Park, while Aberdeen will now face Real Sociedadfollowing a 2-1 success away at Groningen.
Motherwell could not complete a hat-trick of wins, however, losing out 3-2 after extra-timein Iceland asStjarnan advanced 5-4 on aggregate.
Hajduk Split survived a late fightback to see off Dundalk 3-2 on aggregate, while Gothenburg progressed despite a 1-0 loss on the night to Gyori thanks to their three-goal advantage from the first leg.
MladaBoleslav booked a third-round tie with Lyon courtesy of a devastating 4-0 win at SirokiBrijegand PSV await St Polten, who won 2-0 to beat Botev Plovdiv 3-2 overall.
There were comfortable passages for ShakhterKaragandy, Molde, Zorya, Grodig, Slovan Liberec and Astana but Neftci, Sarajevo and AIK allhad to overturn first-leg deficitsagainst Koper, Haugesund and Linfield respectively.
Lech Poznan were another to come from behind and qualify, triumphing 3-0 at home to Nomme Kalju after a 1-0 first-leg reverse, and Spartak Trnava's 3-0 win saw them ease past Zestafoni.
AsterasTripolis overcame RoPS courtesy of a 4-2 home win, while PetrolulPloiesti's 3-1 success saw them secure a 5-1 aggregate scoreline against FlamurtariVlore.
Elsewhere, Esbjerg, Cluj, Diosgyor, Vikingur, Zulte-Waregem, Metalurg Skopje, Rijekaand FHalso progressed to the next stage.
news_articleThu, 24 Jul 2014 22:00:25 +0000218230 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League: Sligo, Baku out to finish upsetsSligo Rovers and Inter Baku will look to convert first-leg shocks to progression from the UEFA Europa league second qualifying round.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-preview-sligo-inter-baku-out-finish-shocks
Sligo pulled off the resultof the round last week,beating former UEFA Champions League quarter-finalistsRosenborg 2-1 atLerkendal Stadion - a result that cost Rosenborg boss Per Joar Hansen his job.
Alan Keane and Danny North put the Irish side two away goals to the good, though goalkeeper Gary Rogers' late own-goal means they will have to focus at The Showgrounds, something manager John Coleman isaware of.
"It's only half a job and I've hammered that home to the players," he said after the game.
"We're disappointed that we conceded a goal and disappointed that we didn't take a couple of chances after that, but they're a good side and we're certainly not going to be underestimating them."
Completing a theme of Irish success were Linfield, who travel to Sweden after a 1-0 win over AIK.
Inter, meanwhile,emerged 1-0 victors against Svenska Cupen holders Elfsborg last week and will have confidence in progressing, havinglost just one of their last 16 games at home -keeping clean sheets in four of their last six.
Those drawn with the bigger names to come in the third round will be hoping for a glamour tie.
Brommapojkarna looknailed on to meet Serie A club Torino as they hold a 4-0 lead over Crusaders, while Trencin can also think about a clash with English FA Cup finalists Hull City after beating Vojvodina by the same scoreline last week.
Botev Plovdiv and Mlada Boleslav will be hoping to seal meetings with PSV and Lyon after 2-1 first-leg wins over Siroki Brijeg and St Polten respectively.
Real Sociedad await the winner between Aberdeen and Groningen, with Mainz eyeing RoPs and Asteras Tripolis' clash in Greece - both gamespoised after draws.
Astana,Zorya, Dinamo Minsk, IFK Gothenburg, Krasnodar, Molde and Grodig are others who can look ahead after dominant first-leg victories - all hold at least a three-goal advantage.
CSKA Sofia and Motherwell will hope conceding away goals in first-leg draws does not costthem against supposedly beatable opposition in the shape of Zimbru and Stjarnan.
Other highly rankedoutfits Cluj, Tromso and Bursaspor were unable to break down weaker opposition and willlook to assert their dominance overJagodina, Vikingur and Chikura after 0-0 draws.
Esbjerg and Slovan Liberec both reached the knockout rounds of last year's competition. The Danes drew 1-1 with Kairat in Kazakhstan last week, but Slovan return home after beating Kosice 1-0 away.
Omonia Nicosia, Petrolul Ploiesti, Diosgyor and Hajduk Split hold two-goal leads heading into their second legs, but things are tighter for Ruch Chorzow, Zulte-Waregem and Split who are all aheadbut conceded away goals to Vaduz, Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Hapoel Be'er Sheva.
Koper, Shakhtyor and Haugesund will look to back-up narrow away wins, while Nomme Kajlu andRijeka head to Lech Poznan and Ferenvaros protecting 1-0 leads.
Atlantas host Shakhter Karagandy, Zestafoni welcome Spartak Trnava and Metalurg Skopje go to Zeljeznicar after goalless first legs, but St Johnstone and FH will hope an away goal can swing things in their favour after 1-1 first-legs at Luzern and Neman Grodno.
news_articleMon, 21 Jul 2014 12:44:10 +0000216074 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Sligo shock RosenborgRosenborgs hopes of qualification took a blow after a shock 2-1 home defeat to Sligo Rovers in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-sligo-shock-rosenborg-krasnodar-cruise
The 22-time champions of Norway had home advantage in the second-round qualifying tie at the Lerkendal Stadion.
However, they will travel to Ireland needing to overturn the one-goal deficit, as second-half goals from Alan Keane and Danny North put the visitors in control.
Mikkel Diskerud offered hope of a late comeback when he struck nine minutes from time, but it proved in vain as Sligo held on for a precious win.
Koper were also 2-1 victors on their visit to Neftci, while the likes of Botev Plovdiv, Mlada Boleslav, Split and Zulte Waregem still have to work to do after winning by the same scoreline at home.
IFK Gothenburg have won Europe's secondary club competition on two occasions in 1982 and 1987, and the Swedish outfit look destined for the next round after a 3-0 win at Gyori ETO.
Lasse Vibe got the visitors off to a flying start in the eighth minute and Jakob Johansson and May Mahlangu added furth goals in the second half.
Fellow Swedish sides Brommapojkarna and Elfsborg had differing fortunes. The former routed Crusaders 4-0, while the latter were beaten 1-0 at home by Inter Baku.
Russian Premier League outfit Krasnodar are virtually assured a spot in the third round of qualifying thanks for a 4-0 win at Sillamae Kalev.
Ari, Yury Gazinskiy, Wanderson and Vladimir Bystrov were all on the scoresheet in the comfortable win.
Grodig too won 4-0 on their travels at Cukaricki,and Trencin secured the same score at home to Vojvodina. Molde put one foot in the next round thanks to a 4-1 home success over Gorica.
Kazakh outfit Astana should progress after a 3-0 home win over Hapoel Tel Aviv, while Belarus side Dinamo Minsk beat MYPA by the same score. Zorya won3-0 on their visit to Laci.
The matches between Kairat and Esbjerg, RoPS and Asteras Tripolis, CSKA Sofia and Zimbru, Luzern and St. Johnstone and Neman Grodno and FH are all nicely poised after finishing 1-1.
Shakhter Karagandy, Spartak Trnava and Tromso played out stalemates on their visits to Atlantas, Zestafoni and Vikingur, while Jagodina took a valuable 0-0 draw away from CFR Cluj.
There were no goals in the matches involving Bursaspor and Chikhura Sheva, Aberdeen and Groningen, orMetalurg Skopje andZeljeznicar.
Omonia Nicosia and Diosgyor take 2-0 leads back to their respective home legs with Buducnost and Lovech. Petrolul Ploiesti scored twice in the last 13 minutes to win 2-0 at home to Flamurtari Vlore.
Dundalk face a tricky task after losing 2-0 at home to Hajduk Split, while Motherwell surrendered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at home to Stjarnan.
One goal was all that was needed for Slovan Liberec to win on their visit at Kosice, while Nomme Kalju were 1-0 victors at home to Lech Poznan. Ruch Chorzow also have a one-goal cushion ahead of the second leg following an entertaining 3-2 triumph over Vaduz.
Linfield and Rijeka triumphed 1-0 in their home ties, as did Shakhtyor and Haugesund on their visits to Derry City and Sarajevo.
news_articleThu, 17 Jul 2014 21:29:57 +0000214099 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League: Gothenburg face GyoriFormer European heavyweights IFK Gothenburg continue their quest to reach this seasons UEFA Europa League group stage at Gyori on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-preview-gothenburg-continue-group-stage-quest
The Swedish side lifted European football's second-tiertrophy back in 1982 and again in 1987 under its former guise oftheUEFA Cup, but their ambitions for this year's tournament are likely to bemuch smaller as they approach the first leg of theirsecond-qualifying-roundclash in Hungary.
Mikael Stahre's men were third in the Allsvenskan last season, but currently sit a disappointing sixth after 14 games this term andwill likely need to improve after only defeating Luxembourg'sFola Esch 2-0 on aggregate in the previous round.
Gothenburg will not be the only Swedish team aimingto try andseal a place in the third qualifying round, with Elfsborg, AIK and Brommapojkarna taking on Inter Baku, Linfield and Crusaders respectively.
Rosenborg were surprisingly eliminated at the same stage last season, losing out to Scottish sideSt Johnstone, and they will hope to avoid a repeat against Ireland's Sligo Rovers.
Swiss side Luzern are the opponents on this occasion for St Johnstone, who are one of three Scottish teams competing in the Europa League.
Motherwell meet Icelandic side Stjarnan, while Aberdeen face a tricky test against Eredivisie play-off winners Groningen in what shouldbe one of the standoutties of the round.
Norwegian's Tromso were the big winners of the first qualifying round, hammering Tartu Santos of Estonia 13-1, and they will be looking for more of the sameagainst Faroese outfit Vikingur.
Tippeligaen leaders Moldemeet Gorica of Slovenia, while Norwegian compatriots Haugesund will need to overcome Sarajevo.
Zulte-Waregem and Shakhter Karagandy take on Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Atlantas respectively as they both aim to feature in the group stage for a second straight year.
Lech Poznan, last-32participants in 2011, will be favourites against Estonia's Nomme Kalju, and their Polish compatriots Ruch Chorzow should be hopeful of progress against Vaduz ofLiechtenstein.
Romanian's Cluj make their return to European football after a year-long absence against Jagodina, while Petrolul Ploiesti face Flamurtari Vlore as they bid to go better than last season's run to the final play-off round.
Zimbru will require a fine performance in order to knock-out CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria, and Chikhura are also likely to be up against it in their tie with Bursaspor.
Kazakhstani sides Astana and Kairat meet Hapoel Tel Aviv and Esbjerg, the latter of whomreached the last 32 in 2013-14.
Finnish teams RoPS and MYPA are pitted against Asteras Tripolis and Dinamo Misnk, whose fellow Belarusians Neman Grodno and Shakhtyor will need to overcome FH and Derry City.
Kosice face Slovan Liberec, Laci meet Zorya and Neftci take on Koper, while the games between Omonia Nicosia and Buducnost, Vojvodina and Trencin, Zestafoni and Spartak Trnava and St Polten and Botev Plovidiv should all be hotly contested.
Meanwhile, Sillamae Kalev host Krasnodar, Rijeka welcome Ferencvaros, Hajduk Split travel to Dundalk and the Croatian side'scity rivals RNK Split meet Hapoel Be'er Sheva of Israel.
Elsewhere, there are clashes betweenSiroki BrijegandMladaBoleslav, Diosgyor andLitex Lovech, Metalurg Skopjeand Zeljeznicar, whileCukaricki hostGrodig.
news_articleTue, 15 Jul 2014 09:12:40 +0000212490 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: PSV out, Spurs run riotPSV Eindhoven were the headline casualty in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday as they were sent crashing out at the group stage.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-wrap-psv-crash-out-tottenham-run-riot
The Dutch side had been expected to qualify with ease through Group B when the draw pitted them against Ludogorets, Chornomorets and Dinamo Zagreb.
But their European adventure ended in embarrassing fashion, as a 1-0 defeat in their winner-take-all encounter to a 10-man Chornomorets outfit at the Philips Stadion sealed their fate.
Striker Dja Djedje's goal just before the hour proved their undoing, as he headed home Sito Riera's cross to send the Ukrainian club into the knockout phase.
And the visitors could even afford to play the final three minutes a man down after Riera was sent off for violent conduct, leaving PSV facing up to an eighth defeat in 12 games in all competitions that piles yet more pressure on under-fire boss Phillip Cocu.
In the other Group B game, Dinamo's winless campaign finished with a 2-1 defeat to Ludogorets, while over in Group A, Swansea City lost 1-0 at Saint Gallen but still advanced to the last 32.
Marco Mathys' strike 10 minutes from time gave the Swiss side their second win of the group stage, but Kuban Krasnodar's 1-1 draw with group winners Valencia meant that it mattered little.
British rivals Wigan Athletic were not as fortunate as Swansea, with two goals in 16 minutes either side of the break from Dejan Mezga and Zeljko Filipovic earning Maribor a come-from-behind 2-1 win and progression as Group D runners-up.
Neither team were able to catch Rubin Kazan at the start of the night, but the Russians did Maribor a favour by beating Zulte-Waregem 2-0.
The battle for top spot in Group E went the way of Fiorentina - the Italians winning 2-1 against nearest rivals Dnipro - while a 0-0 draw between Pandurii Targu Jiu and Pacos de Ferreira in Romania was meaningless.
Salzburg progressed as the winners of Group C courtesy of a 3-0 victory against second-placed Esbjerg, with Standard Liege losing 3-1 at home to Elfsborg.
Group F saw Maccabi Tel Aviv qualify with a 1-0 win against Bordeaux, while Frankfurt prepared for the knockout stages in style by beating APOEL 2-0.
A Roberto Soldado hat-trick made it six wins out of six for Tottenham in Group K as they beat Anzhi Makhachkala 4-1, with Lewis Holtby scoring in between with a clever left-footed finish to assert the Premier League side's dominance over the second-placed Russians.
Sheriff Tiraspol beat Tromso 2-0 in the other game in that pool, while elsewhere there were wins for Legia Warsaw - 2-0 against Apollon - and Maccabi Haifa - 2-1 against Shakhter Karagandy - as well as a 2-2 draw between already qualified PAOK and AZ, and a goalless stalemate between Lazio and Trabzonspor.
Lyon's 2-1 win over Vitoria Guimaraes combined with Real Betis' 0-0 draw against Rijeka gave the French side top spot in Group I, while Sevilla ended the night on top of Group H thanks to goals at the end of each half from Vicente Iborra and Raul Rusescu as they beat Freiburg 2-0.
The other game in that pool saw Slovan Liberec edge Estoril 2-1, sending the Czechs through, while Genk won 1-0 at Thun and Dynamo Kiev came from one down to beat Rapid Vienna 3-1 in Group G, taking their place in the last 32 at the expense of the Austrians.
news_articleThu, 12 Dec 2013 23:33:40 +000093437 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com